Ethiopia Accuses Tigray Liberation Front of Earning $4,500 Per Trafficked Migrant
Addis Ababa, 25 February 2026
Ethiopia’s intelligence service has formally accused the TPLF of operating lucrative human trafficking networks, allegedly generating at least $4,500 per migrant to fund armed operations. The accusations emerge as tensions escalate in Tigray, with Ethiopian troops massing on the region’s borders and recent drone strikes killing civilians. Intelligence officials claim armed groups have shifted from relying on diaspora funding to domestic contraband activities including gold smuggling and fuel trafficking, with operations extending across borders into Eritrea through 26 identified bank accounts.
Intelligence Service Details Trafficking Revenue Streams
Boneya Lemma, Director of Illicit Trade and Tax Intelligence at Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service, revealed during the 4th Anti-Illicit Trade Summit that investigations show armed groups previously believed to rely largely on diaspora funding are instead drawing substantial income from domestic contraband activities [1]. The intelligence service has specifically linked the Oromo Liberation Army to gold smuggling, narcotics trade, and fuel contraband across parts of the country, while Fano was also cited as being connected to illicit trading networks [1]. These revelations suggest a fundamental shift in how armed groups finance their operations, moving away from traditional external funding sources to more lucrative domestic criminal enterprises.
Cross-Border Operations and Financial Networks
The trafficking and contraband routes extend well beyond Ethiopia’s borders, with the intelligence agency alleging cooperation between the TPLF and actors in Eritrea [1]. At least 26 bank accounts are said to be operated with Eritrean individuals, though investigators have reported significant difficulty in tracing transactions, identifying only limited transfers of up to 100 birr in some cases [1]. This cross-border financial network complicates efforts to track and disrupt the alleged trafficking operations, highlighting the sophisticated nature of the purported scheme. The intelligence service has also raised concerns about oversight gaps in Ethiopia’s financial system, stating that regulators lack adequate technical capacity and monitoring systems [1].
Escalating Military Tensions Amid Trafficking Allegations
The trafficking accusations come at a particularly volatile time for the Tigray region, where tensions have surged since the end of the devastating 2020-2022 conflict that claimed 600,000 lives [3]. The Ethiopian army has assembled troops on the border of the northern region amid what observers describe as the highest level of tensions seen since the war’s conclusion [3]. Recent military actions have already resulted in civilian casualties, with Addis Ababa carrying out two drone strikes against cargo trucks near Enticho on 30 January 2026, killing a driver [3]. Direct clashes occurred in the Tsemlet area at the end of January 2026, while videos from early February 2026 showed large military convoys heading north [3].
Government Response and Financial System Reforms
Ethiopian authorities have responded to these alleged illicit activities with significant enforcement actions and calls for systemic reforms. The Ethiopian Customs Commission reported seizing more than 13 billion birr worth of illegal goods in the past six months and 23 billion birr during the last fiscal year [1]. Several betting companies were recently shut down over alleged fraud and illicit fund transfers, with officials stating that the National Bank of Ethiopia had limited visibility into their operations [1]. The intelligence service has also alleged that supervisory bodies do not systematically verify information submitted by microfinance institutions, while significant funds have been channelled into digital wallet platforms and cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance [1]. In response to these challenges, authorities are pushing for governance reforms supported by technology, including border-level oversight mechanisms, supply chain monitoring systems, and GPS tracking for trucks travelling beyond Ethiopia’s borders [1]. For the hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian refugees currently in camps such as Kakuma and Kalobeyei, these allegations cast new light on the dangerous networks that may have facilitated their journeys and could complicate future repatriation considerations as regional stability remains precarious.